Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [90]
Punta Rocas, a little further south, is also popular with experienced surfers (annual competitions are held here), who generally crash at the basic Hostal Hamacas (231-5498, 99-985-4766; hamacasperu@gmail.com; Panamericana Km 47; r per person US$10-20), right on the beach. Owner Carlos Zevallos is a surfer and he has 15 rooms and five bungalows (which sleep six), all with private bathrooms, hot water and ocean views. There is an on-site restaurant during the high season (October to April). He also rents boards. Generally, however, surfboard rental is almost nonexistent; best to bring your own.
To get to these beaches, take a bus signed ‘San Bartolo’ from the Panamericana Sur at the Puente Primavera in Lima (Map). You can get off at any of the beach towns along the route, but in many cases it will be a 1km to 2km hike down to the beach. (Local taxis are usually waiting by the road.) A one-way taxi from Lima starts at about S45.
For beaches to the south, such as Pucusana, Click here.
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CARRETERA CENTRAL
The Carretera Central (Central Hwy) heads directly east from Lima, following the Rímac valley into the foothills of the Andes and on to La Oroya in Peru’s central highlands.
Minibuses to Chosica leave frequently from Arica at the Plaza Bolognesi (Map). These can be used to travel to Puruchuco (S1 to S2, 50 minutes), Cajamarquilla (S1 to S2, 1¼ hours) and Chosica (S2 to S3, two hours).
Colectivo taxis also make the journey from the corner of Arequipa and Av Javier Prado in San Isidro for S8 (Map). Recognizing sites from the road can be difficult, so let the driver know where you want to get off.
Puruchuco
01
The site of Puruchuco (494-2641; http://museopuruchuco.perucultural.org.pe; admission S5; 9am-4pm Tue-Sun) hit the news in 2002 when about 2000 well-preserved mummy bundles were unearthed from the enormous Inca cemetery. It’s one of the biggest finds of its kind, and the multitude of grave goods included a number of well preserved quipu (knotted ropes that the Inca used as a system of record-keeping). The site has a highly reconstructed chief’s house, with one room identified as a guinea-pig ranch. Situated amid the shantytown of Túpac Amaru, Puruchuco is 13km from Central Lima. (It is best to take a taxi.) A signpost on the highway marks the turn-off, and from here it is several hundred meters along a road to the right.
Cajamarquilla
01
Another pre-Columbian site, Cajamarquilla (admission S5; 9am-4pm) is a crumbling adobe city that was built up by the Wari culture (AD 700–1100) on the site of a settlement originally developed by the Lima culture. A road to the left from Lima at about Km 10 (18km from Central Lima) goes to the Cajamarquilla zinc refinery, almost 5km from the highway. The ruins are located about halfway along the refinery road; you take a turn to the right along a short road. There are signs, but ask the locals for the zona arqueológica if you have trouble finding them.
Chosica
01
About 40km from Lima lies the rustic mountain town of Chosica, which sits at 860m above sea level, above the fog line. In the early half of the 20th century, it was a popular weekend getaway spot for limeños intent on soaking up sun in winter. Today its popularity has declined, though some visitors still arrive for day trips. The plaza is lined with restaurants and in the evenings anticucho vendors gather along some of the fountain-lined promenades. From Chosica, a minor road leads to the ruins of Marcahuasi (Click here).
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South Coast
* * *
PUCUSANA
ASIA
CAñETE & CERRO AZUL
LUNAHUANá
CHINCHA
PISCO & PARACAS
ICA
HUACACHINA
PALPA
NAZCA & AROUND
SACACO
CHALA
CAMANá
MOLLENDO
MEJÍA & RÍO TAMBO VALLEY
MOQUEGUA
ILO
TACNA
* * *
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Peru’s southern coastal desert is refreshed by palm-fringed